Package-tie



G. C. SNYDER.

PACKAGE TlE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1917.

1,376,472. Patented May 3,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. C. SNYDER.

PACKAGE TIE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. Ian].

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. SNYDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-SIXTH TO FRANK K.

HOFFMAN Ann ONE-SIXTH '.110 E.

YORK, N. Y.

THEO. I. THYGESON, BOTH OF NEW PACKAGE-TIE.

Application filed July 28, 1917.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grouse C. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skllled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention which relates to package ties has for an object the provision of an improved and inexpensive type 0f fastening device capable of assoclationwlth a tying string so that the ent re tie thus formed may be manipulated w th ease and rapidity in tying and untying, is secure and reliable when tied and left tied and may also be used again and again before becom ing worn out.

The particular kind of package tie to which the invention is applied is of the type comprising a fastener proper to which one end of the tying string is permanently attached and which constitutes one of a pair of cooperative friction members, the'other one of which consists of a disk-like member attached to the fastener proper by a substantially universal joint connection which permits relative movement of the two members in all directions.

In previous attempts to devise inexpensive fastening devices, it has been proposed to use the attached end of the tying string as the means whereby the friction members are connected together, the string being threaded one or more times back and forth through transverse apertures provided in both members. In all these arrangements, however, even where the great disadvantage of their comparatively high cost of manufacture in quantities has not been encountered, the chief difiiculty has been to attaln a fastener which was convenient to handle and with which, at the same time, an absolutely reliable tie could always quickly be made. Fas teners of the type just referred to, while more expensive than the fastener of the present invention, may be manufactured rather cheaply. but in the practical use of these devices it has been found necessary during and at the end of the tying operation to make a comparatively large number of turns of the tying string around the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

Serial No. 183,223.

wedging space provided between the two friction members to make the fastener attain any degree of success especially as the tying string has a constant tendency to work loose due primarily if not entirely, to the substantially circular nature of the wedging space. I have found that if a tie is made up of two friction members preferably made of vulcanized fiber, or in which one is made of such fiber and the other of some thin metal or other suitable material and these two members are clenched together by a wire staple or similar fastener or connecting element defining an elongated area in transverse section so that the upper member may rock in all directions with respect to the lower member, that a device is obtained in which all of the difficulties met with in former devices of this nature are overcome. A tie of the above construction possesses extreme durability and is adapted to be used over and over again, which features render it especially suitable for use in the post office service. Such a tie may be provlded at an expense which is inconsiderable in view of the great number of times the tie may be used on packa es of letters before becoming worn out; iEven if the tying string becomes worn out in service, a new string may be quickly applied to the device, which may thus be retained indefinitely.

The details of the construction of my im proved tie, the mode of using the same and the numerous advantages which it possesses will appear more clearly from a description illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a complete tie as arranged at the finish of the tying operation with relation to a package of letters which is'held by the left hand of a user. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the relation of the tie when held by the right hand-0f the user. F ig. 3 is a plan view of the tie without the string attached thereto; Fig. 4 is a side view of the device of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3 showing the device on an enlarged scale; Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view with a portion of the upper member broken away to show the arrangement of the tying string at the completion of the tying operation indicated in Fig.1; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the enlarged device shown in Fig. 6, along the lines 7-7 of this figure; Fig. 8 is a view in section along the line of a preferred embodiment of the same as 8-8 of Fig. 6 and Fig. 9 is a bottom plan View showing especially the manner in which the tying string is attached to the tie.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views 10 is an inner member preferably constructed of vulcanized fiber or the like. This inner member is provided with a portion 10 projecting outwardly for a considerable distance to serve as a thumbhold by which the device may be retained in place when being used. The inner member is also provided with a tab 10 to serve as an anchorage for one end of the tying string 11 which is carried through apertures 12 in the tab and tied in any convenient manner as for instance by having its free end placed under one of its loops as shown most clearly in Figs. 7 and 9. In order to further aid in holding the tying string in place, the outer end of the tab 1O should be provided with a' semi-circular re cess 13 through which the loop of the tying string is carried.

The other member of the tie Which cooperates with the inner memberlO consists of a saucer shaped circular disk 14 which may be made of the same material as the inner member or of different material. The two cooperating members of the device are attached to each other by a staple 15 which is clenched .to form a substantially complete O-link having its plane in the relation to the inner, member 10 substantially as shown in Fig. 6, that is with the plane ofv the staple lying-at an angle of'substantially 15 to the medial line of the thumbhold portion 10 as indicated by the dot and dash lines. It is with this relationship that the device will be found most convenient for application to a package and most effective in holding the tyingstring tightly around the package. The staple 15 should pass through apertures in the tie members of sufficient size to permit the members to have a rocking motion in all directions with respect to each other. In other words, the staple should be in the nature of a universal joint connection between the two members. I

To assist in holding the tying string in place about the staple 15 the disk l l'is formed with a number of projections 16 extending downwardly and forming in ,effect ratchet teeth on the underside of the circular disk. Each of the projections is formed with an abruptly inclined face and a gradually inclined face, the projections being so placed with respect to the direction in whichthe string is to be wound about the device that during the winding operation the string will slip. over the gradually inclined faces and its tendency to become detached from the fastening device will be lessened because it will engage the abrupt faces of the projections. For convenience in using the device, small arrows may be marked upon the upper face of the circular member 14 to indicate the direction in which the tying string should be carried around the fastening device in order to slip over the gradually inclined faces of the projections.

In operation, the tie is placed on top of a package, and as shown in Fig. 1, the thumbhold portion .10 is grasped by the thumb of the left hand of the user. As the package is held in this figure, the tying string would first be wrapped around the longer dimensions of the package as indicated by the arrow showing the direction in which the string is carried around the package during the tying operation. After the first wrapping of the string has been made, it is given a quarter turn around the fastening device in the direction indicated by the arrows stamped on the top of the device, and is then carried around the package at right angles to its former direction, and then given a complete turn around the tying device in the direction of the arrow stamped thereon. Thus both turns about the tying device are made in the same direction, which promotes rapidityof manipulation since the general direction of movement of the hand need not be reversed. :Each time the tying string is carried under the circular disk 14, it rides. over the gradually inclined faces of the projections and snaps into place about the staple 15. The disposition of the convolutions of thetying cord about the staple appear most clearlyjin Fig. 6, and Figs. 7 and 8 show that the. outer friction member or disk 14 cooperates with the inner friction member 10 by a rocking movement relative thereto and relativerto the, windings of the tying string as the-latter. accumulate about the staple. Because of this rocking or oscillatory movement of the outer member duringthe tying operation to compensate for the string windings as they pile up,'the outer member may be made quite stiffand unyielding and the pro- 'jections provided on the under side of this member insure that the final winding about the staple will not slip free fromthe frictional grip of the inner and outer members. Thus as the tying operation is completed .a portion of the tying string is impositively but securely locked between these projections and a previously wound portion of the string.

If the package is to be held by the right hand of the user, the fastening device occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 in which case the string is first wrapped around the shorter dimension of the package, then given a quarter turn around the fastening device in the direction indicated .by the arrow stamped thereon, thence carried around the longer dimension of the package and finally given acomplete turn about the staple of the fastening device in the same direction as the previous quarter turn. Whether the package and tying device are grasped by the right hand or the left hand of the user, the operation described above may be performed very quickly due in large part to the non-interference of the holding hand, which results from the manner in which the thumb must grasp the thumbhold 10 to properly position the fastener. Other factors promoting this rapid operation are the fact that few windings of the tying string are required during the whole tying operation, and all of these windings may be taken around the elongated wedging space in the same direction, which is a clockwise direction, and convolutions about the package are always taut, their fastening is secure and dependable and the package tie is permanently locked against working loose. These results are obtained by means of the rocking movement of the upper member, which increases frictional hold of the two members of the device upon the windings of the cord, in combination with the sharp or abrupt changes of direction of the tying string caused by the elongated wedging space between the two members.

Among other advantages resulting from the provision of the elongated wedging space which characterizes the present invention, is the fact that the thumbhold portion 10 will always be fixed at the angle shown in Figs. 1 or 2 after the completion of the tying operation due to the balanced pulls exerted by the string in four directions. These balanced pulls will always exist irrespective of the angle between the thumb hold portion of the device and the package itself, and also irrespective of the angular relation between the plane of the staple 15 and the thumbhold portion. A package tier who has become familiar with the use of the fastener and who is continually using these devices for wrapping packages, will as a matter of habit arrange the thumbhold portion of the device so that each package when wrapped will have this same portion of the device mounted similarly to the mounting of such portion on all other packages. Thus when a package is taken up to be untied, the thumbhold portion of the device will always \occupy the position to which the tier is accustomed. This fact will tend to promote rapidly with which the device may be used and is especially valuable in the case of the postal service, for which the device is especially adapted. It is contemplated however, that the device may be used for tying packages of any kind, and the thumbhold portion may be decorated or carry advertising matter, or designations may be applied thereto so that the device may be used for tying up packages, records or other papers which are to be filed away for future reference.

Various changes in the form, proportion and details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention. Materials other than vulcanized fiber may be used for both the inner and outer members, and various substitutes for the staple, such as metal rivets having shanks of elongated cross section, that is, of cross section similar to and adapted to form the wedging space characteristic of the present invention, may be used.

I claim:

1. A fastener for use with a tying string as described, comprising a pair of spaced members and a connecting element joining the two members and defining an elongated area in transverse section, the fastening element being so attached to the two members as to form a substantially universal joint connection between them, and being of such length as to permit separation of the members to allow the string to be placed between them during the tying operation and carried about the said connecting element.

2. A fastener of the kind described comprising a plane strip of material being formed with an elongated thumbhold portion and a tab extending at an angle to the thumbhold portion, a disk, a clenched staple piercing the strip and disk and serving to mount the disk on the strip at a point between the thumbhold portion and the tab, the plane of the staple lying at an angle of substantially 45 to the medial line of the thumbhold portion.

3. A fastener of the kind described, comprising an inner member, an outer member spaced from the inner member, a tying string, and a clenched staple piercing the two members and serving to mount the outer member on the inner member so that convolutions of the string may be wedged between the two members when the string is carried around the staple, the outer member being provided on its under side with a plurality of ratchet-shaped projections so arranged that as the tying operation is completed, portions of the string are locked between the projections and previously wound portions of the string.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE O. SNYDER.

Correction in Letters Patent No 1,376,472.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,376,472, granted May 3,

1921, upon the application of George G. Snyder, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Package-Ties, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 57, for the Word rapidly read rapidity;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

[sun] l 'I Signed and sealed this 14th day of June, A. D., 1921.

WM. A. KINNAN,

, Acting Commissioner of Patents. l 

